Association of total lymphocyte count and echocardiographic parameters in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients

Background: The pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases in HIV infection has been linked to chronic inflammation that precipitates atherosclerosis and low lymphocyte count is a common finding during the systemic inflammatory response. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between total lymphocyte count (TLC) and echocardiographic parameters in HIV positive subjects. Method: TLC of 100 HAART naïve newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS subjects, recruited from a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution were analyzed, and their left ventricular (LV) function and geometry were evaluated using transthoracic echocardiography. Results: Abnormalities in LV function and geometry were observed in the HIV seropositive subjects and their TLCs were lower in those with severe forms of abnormalities. Conclusion: Concluding, TLC is inversely associated with LV dysfunction or abnormal geometry.